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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Konglishman
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Nanjing
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 Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Tiger Beer wrote: |
| I'm comfortably in Japan myself. My friend who is in Beijing was just telling me that RMB is getting kinda strong compared to the Dollar...so now his Chinese wages aren't too bad compared to what he would be making in Korea right now. |
Hey, Tiger Beer. Besides Singapore, I am also starting to look into the possibility of going to Japan. I might have a few questions for you if I find any job leads for what I want to do. |
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Tobias
Joined: 02 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:13 pm Post subject: That's probably true |
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| Bigfeet wrote: |
| They probably started their paperwork a month or two ago when the won wasn't so weak. We won't really know the recruiting impact until the big drive to hire for March. |
That's probably true, being as one can never change his mind. If the won drops and you no longer like the deal, then you are screwed, buddy, even if you've signed the contract and gotten the visa. You now have a leash around your neck and have become an indentured servant. "This way, please" to play the Korean pretend game--they pretend to want to learn, and you pretend to teach.
Well, this is true for a lot of people. Let me be on the other end and see a won meltdown. I'll be throwing my new contract, visa, and even plane ticket in the garbage. "This way, please" would become "No thank you". But this is just me. I stand up for myself and can say that magical word. The little two-letter word that begins with 'N' and ends with 'O'. |
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Soccerstar
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: Kyungsangnamdo
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:29 am Post subject: |
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| Konglishman wrote: |
| Tiger Beer wrote: |
| I'm comfortably in Japan myself. My friend who is in Beijing was just telling me that RMB is getting kinda strong compared to the Dollar...so now his Chinese wages aren't too bad compared to what he would be making in Korea right now. |
Hey, Tiger Beer. Besides Singapore, I am also starting to look into the possibility of going to Japan. I might have a few questions for you if I find any job leads for what I want to do. |
If Japan is a stronger country economically and their currency is considered safer, how could he really lose? Even if the won does strengthen (and I don't think it will soon) at least you are in Japan! |
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Soccerstar
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: Kyungsangnamdo
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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double post
Last edited by Soccerstar on Fri Nov 21, 2008 6:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 5:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Soccerstar wrote: |
I don't find the cost of living cheaper in Korea. I find the costs about twice as expensive. At home would you pay
$250 for a pair of jeans?
$6.00 for a couple sticks of butter?
$1.50 for 100 grams of beef?
$100 for a tie?
$100 for a dress shirt that fits?
$10 for a small block of cheese? |
Where do you go shopping? I can easily find ties for around 20,000 won. Shirts for a quarter of that. You can find brand name jeans for 60,000. Although, I'm not sure how big you are since you seem have trouble finding shirts that fit. I'll admit that if you want western food or meats it's often more pricey. |
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MrRogers
Joined: 29 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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Soccerstar,
ditto on your thoughts about the expense of living here,
plus, I can't even find lemons or lemon juice in a society which thinks it is modern
(okay, if I trek an hour's bus ride I can find lemons in emart - but no lemon juice bottles, no oatmeal)
and even in the public school system, there is so much BS male hierarchical/chauvinism stuff going on that it is SO unprofessional(in what is supposed to be a modern society) in what should be an educational environment - it is SO third world
http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi
Live rates at 2008.11.22 01:10:44 UTC
1.00 KRW = 0.000668405 USD
South Korea Won United States Dollars
1 KRW = 0.000668405 USD 1 USD = 1,496.10 KRW |
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Soccerstar
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: Kyungsangnamdo
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| Soccerstar wrote: |
I don't find the cost of living cheaper in Korea. I find the costs about twice as expensive. At home would you pay
$250 for a pair of jeans?
$6.00 for a couple sticks of butter?
$1.50 for 100 grams of beef?
$100 for a tie?
$100 for a dress shirt that fits?
$10 for a small block of cheese? |
Where do you go shopping? I can easily find ties for around 20,000 won. Shirts for a quarter of that. You can find brand name jeans for 60,000. Although, I'm not sure how big you are since you seem have trouble finding shirts that fit. I'll admit that if you want western food or meats it's often more pricey. |
I'm not saying you can't find bargains by hunting around if you know where to look. I'm saying that in general most stores post their products at these ridiculous prices. Walk into any random suit shop in Busan and look at the prices of their shirts and ties. They are all over $100. Sure you can find shirts that are much cheaper, but the proportions are way off. I am an average sized guy 6 feet 170 lbs. Any shirt I find either the sleeves are too short or the shirt has a huge girth. They don't sell slimfit shirts (which are quite standard in the west) at any reasonable price.
A good standard of Korea's prices is Lotte. It seems like all the shops set their prices as their standard.
And MrRogers is right, there is no lemon juice in this country, or any ingredients to make bread at home. No fabric for sewing your own clothes, and I agree, not even oatmeal at the big stores.
I mean, get real. We're talking things most westerners take for granted. In a first-world country a place like HomePlus would stock these items even if there was just a small market for them.
How simple would it be to make some brown bread? Two years here now and I've never seen 100% whole wheat.
This is not a gripe, but rather an refutation of the myth that Korea has a lower cost of living than the west.
THIS IS NOT TRUE.
Standard of living, yes. Cost of living, NO. Even Cosco here has ridiculous prices! What's up with that? |
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Soccerstar
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: Kyungsangnamdo
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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double post
Last edited by Soccerstar on Fri Nov 21, 2008 6:42 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Ukon
Joined: 29 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Looks like someone needs to learn how to shop.... |
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traxxe
Joined: 21 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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There is going to be a definite delcine in the number of people coming here. The salary now is not enough for people with decent amount of student loans and or credit card debt to come and pay it off while saving money.
That's just a fact. Had I not paid off my debt for the next year I would break contract and run after a couple of months of this exchange rate. Around 1080 I saw the writing on the wall and just paid off everything for a year. Now I don't think that is enough.
I would say at least 1 out of 10 people home send about 1k USD home for student loans and other debts like credit cards, car payment, etc. They can no longer come to Korea for that purpose so that will eliminate at least 10 percent of the workforce. |
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Soccerstar
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: Kyungsangnamdo
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Ukon wrote: |
| Looks like someone needs to learn how to shop.... |
We know how to shop. The problem we all face in Korea is Koreans don't know how to sell. Even "made in Korea" products. If I want Korean brand I can sometimes buy them in the US and have them shipped here cheaper than they sell locally.
This whole mentality of 'more expensive = higher quality' is absurd. Right along with dying from air conditioneritis.
I've loved Korean people since I arrived. I'm involved in Korean church, a Korean soccer team, and a Korean table-tennis club. But I do not like their way of thinking about money, I detest the high prices, and I really don't like earning a base salary equivalent to $1000 USD/month.
This ship is sinking, and it will continue to sink as foreigners leave and don't return. ESL teaching in Korea is not what it once was, and probably never will be again. Not disputing that it is an easy job that gives opportunity to travel. But we are wasting our lives here if our goal is to save lots of money for a house and decent car back home. |
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paquebot
Joined: 20 Jun 2007
Location: Northern Gyeonggi-do
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| Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 6:45 am Post subject: |
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| Gollywog wrote: |
| Korea is not a natural resource producer. It makes cheap cars, electronics, including expensive flat screen TVs, ships, and kimchi. If you can't get loans, you ain't gonna buy cars, if you don't have a job, you ain't gonna buy a 40 inch flat panel TV, and if the credit market collapses, companies aren't going to be able to finance big ships. |
But if companies don't finance big ships, how are they going to replace the ones taken by Somali pirates? 
I want to send money home again soon. While it won't be as much as I sent at this point last year, it's still going to be a lot more than the minimum required for my student loan repayment. Better to get that paid off in a decent period of time than to wait for the exchange rate to improve only to find that it doesn't (at least not any time soon) ... |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 8:27 am Post subject: |
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| Where are you getting name-brand jeans for 60,000 won? And are you sure they're not fakes? The Levi's I see go for over 100,000 won. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 8:30 am Post subject: |
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| Konglishman wrote: |
| Tiger Beer wrote: |
| I'm comfortably in Japan myself. My friend who is in Beijing was just telling me that RMB is getting kinda strong compared to the Dollar...so now his Chinese wages aren't too bad compared to what he would be making in Korea right now. |
Hey, Tiger Beer. Besides Singapore, I am also starting to look into the possibility of going to Japan. I might have a few questions for you if I find any job leads for what I want to do. |
Sure, anytime. I might not know the answers, but I could share what I know. |
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Tobias
Joined: 02 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 5:06 pm Post subject: You should pay off massive amounts |
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| paquebot wrote: |
.....
I want to send money home again soon. While it won't be as much as I sent at this point last year, it's still going to be a lot more than the minimum required for my student loan repayment. Better to get that paid off in a decent period of time than to wait for the exchange rate to improve only to find that it doesn't (at least not any time soon) ... |
In an environment of deflation, you want to have as little debt as possible. Get it paid off NOW. As prices fall in the US, the dollar becomes more valuable inside the US, meaning your debt is costing you more as your opportunity cost rises. If you pay a 400-dollar jack to a creditor, that's 400 dollars you can't spend on something that is relatively a lot cheaper. It's also 400 dollars that you won't be holding onto until tomorrow, when prices may be even lower than today. Get it paid off today and have the freedom to buy or save what you want tomorrow with a more powerful dollar. |
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